Israeli folks know – loaded hummus is everything. An entire meal can be made from a cozy bowl of warm chickpea puree when loaded with caramelized onion and cumin-laced mushrooms. A raggedy pile of pita bread is the exclamation point on this edible yes. To get your fix in Israel you’d head down to a hummusia restaurant. There you can order up warm or cold hummus with your favorite filling – anything from cooked cauliflower, to ground beef or lamb. You can even find the classic tomato and poached egg dish, shakshouka, in the middle of hummus! But you don’t need to travel to Israel to bring these amazing flavors into your kitchen. Today’s hot mushroom filling is just the warmth a 25F degree freeze calls for, and is a welcome break from the heavy meals (and mountains of dishes!) of the holiday season. Real Talk: I need a cooking win. I’m 100% in the middle of a scary cooking carnival … in the last month of 2015 I made two bad lasagnas (in which the lasagna noodles actually dissolved), one excellent lasagna (finally!), …
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THE SCENE Ava wanted nothing to do with the hummus. She shook her head. She closed her eyes. She even yelled “No!!!!” – in case I didn’t get the message. I took a deep breath and calmly said “Ok.” Little did she know, I had a plan. The very next day I whipped out the food processor. “Want to help mama?” I asked, smiling big. “Okay!” she cheered, with big eyes, anticipating a fantastic treat. “Please drop the chickpeas into the food processor,” I said nonchalantly. “Yes” she said, sneaking one before she did so. “Should we add some parsley?” I asked. “Uhuh,” she nodded, her little hand grabbing a fistful and dropping it in. “More?” she asked “Ok! And what about oil?” “Okay!” And on it went. She loved it. In a final flourish, I let her push the button. “BzzzRRRRRRRRRRRaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah” she exclaimed, laughing as the mixture pureed in a smooth dip. I tasted it, adjusted the seasonings, and let her blitz it again. Proudly, I offered her a spoonful. Ava shook her head no. Then, …
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Dilutes up to 1 gallon Have you ever sipped on the sun? First you have to chill it, so it doesn’t taste as much like a “ball of fire.” The compression of all the heat particles actually makes it sour. Like lemon sunshine. Then you squeeze it and sweeten it. I’ve read somewhere that limes are actually cooled moonbeams. They go well with the sunshine, especially with a handful of mint. That’s what’s happening with Israeli juice – summer sunshine in a glass, with a hint of funky nighttime. Ingredients 3/4 cup lemon juice (3 large lemons) 1/4 cup lime juice (1-2 limes) 1 cup (tart)- 1 1/2 cups (sweeter) sugar 1/4 cup water 3-5 sprigs of mint ice and water, as needed (for diluting) Method: Hello summer. Let me cover up my paper cuts, so we can become acquainted. First, squeeze enough lemons and limes to make 1 cup of strained juice. Do it while overlooking a sun-shiny, water-lapped town. Next, make simple syrup. Over low heat, gently simmer as much sugar as you’d like …
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Makes 2+ cups You know how you think you know something…. Like the earth is round. Or flowers bloom. Or hummus goes into a bowl? … only to have your vision shattered? Your dreams crushed? Yeah. Turns out not everything is as it seems. The earth is not perfectly round. It’s a “bumpy spheroid” according to Scientific American. And flowers don’t always bloom. Especially when it’s over 100F for well over a month. My crispy garden is testament to that. And hummus doesn’t go in a bowl. It goes on a plate. I learned that from the Israelis. How’s that for blowing your mind? Ingredients: 2 cans chickpeas, drained (reserve 1/4 cup whole chickpeas for garnish) 3 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon, juiced and strained) parsley, small palmful – plus extra for garnish 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp tahini, or more to taste 1/3 cup olive oil salt Grilled pita bread, for dipping Method: First step, find a nice spot to make the hummus. Perhaps while perched in the middle of a chickpea field. Mmm. Imagine all the …
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Say “camel” and the first word that comes to mind is hump. Please tell me I’m not alone in this. I don’t even have to be in the desert – I could be standing in a pool with a large, cold drink in my hand – but just thinking about camels makes me incredibly thirsty. And jealous. A camel doesn’t need to hold their drink. They don’t even need to use their mouth to hydrate. They just stand there, continually refreshed by their built-in portable hydration hump. Camel humps are huge (weighing up to 80 pounds) and can keep a camel hydrated for up to seven months in the winter. Seven months without a sip of water! Sigh. Now. Don’t become discouraged. Even though we’ll still need to pick up our glasses to drink from them, there is another clever way to hydrate. And Israel is loaded up with it… we might as well call it the human portable hydration hump. Otherwise known as citrus. Oranges. Grapefruits. Juicy, juicy. So, to combat the thirst-inducing effects of a camel ride (or …
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Serves 2-4 Ava’s my little alarm clock. Most days we get up about 8 am (bless her). On the mornings that I wake up before Ava, I like to sit in the drowsy quiet, by the window. I’m not really asleep. I’m not really awake. I’m just glad for a few minutes to stare into the stillness and daydream. Often my thoughts turn to people in other countries. Slowly, I sip my tea and wonder … what are they doing, right now? Are they sleeping? Awake? Are they happy? Sad? Do they Tweet? Are they obsessively checking their Facebook? Are they sitting by a window wondering about me? Hello? Is any body out there? And then Ava wakes up and the excitement of the day begins. I can tell you one thing for sure – right now, somewhere in Israel, someone is eating Shakshouka, breaking their bread and dipping it in the rich sauce. This simple one-pot dish was once considered the working man’s food and is balanced – loaded up with protein, veggies, and …
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When the storm clouds blot out the sun, do you say: “Hurrah – I love the way rain feels on my face.” When your cup is empty, do you say: “How great to have a cup!” When all you have are a few lemons, do you ask: “Who would like to share a splash of lemonade?” Our week at the Israeli Global Table is a celebration of the delicious treats that can be made out of a surprising few ingredients. Treats fellow food optimists will love. (A Food Optimist is often found to say: Sure I can make something out of that – no problem!) Are you a Food Optimist? What sounds good to you? Lemon-Garlic Hummus [recipe] A highly flavorful hummus, seasoned with fresh lemon juice, garlic, and lots of parsley. As a bonus, this quick recipe comes together in 5 minutes. Shakshouka [recipe] An Israeli breakfast. Eggs poached on top of a tomato pepper sauce. Garnished with plenty of parsley and served with crusty bread. Citrus Salad [recipe] Nothing says Israel like a simple orange and grapefruit …
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Listen up, hipsters. While you can find snow in the mountains of Israel, you’re a lot more likely to find a splash of sunshine and a heavy dose of beautiful Mediterranean summer. In short, Israel has the perfect climate for a smile – especially while floating effortlessly along the dead sea, even if your right foot looks like it is about to fall off. No judgement here, but you might want to get that thing checked out, Mr. Anonymous Newspaper-reading Man. As good as the weather is, things get a little more sour when it comes to the food. Literally. Cover up your paper cuts, friends, because this beautiful country is renowned for her citrus production. Lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits all zing their way into the most wonderful juices [recipe], salads [recipe], and treats on the Israeli table. For something a little more tame, try hitting up an Israeli street stand. The most popular street food includes falafel, hummus, and pita. Imagine pulling up your chair to chow down on a pita stuffed with falafel, hummus [recipe], cucumber, tomatoes, and french …
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